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High-Power Solid-State Lasers for Military Applications
13 October 2011
Cost: Free
Length: Approximately one hour.
Speaker(s): Jeff Hecht, Contributing Editor , Laser Focus World
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Northrop Grumman’s demonstration that a solid-state laser could sustain continuous output of 100 kW for five minutes in early 2009 showed that solid-state lasers are serious contenders for use in tactical laser weapons. DARPA and all three armed services are seriously investigating the prospects for fielding solid-state lasers. Fiber lasers with powers from 1 to 50 kW have already been tested in the field, for applications from detonating land mines and unexploded ordnance to short-range rocket defense. Diode-pumped solid-state lasers hold the 100-kW power record. In this live web event contributing editor Jeff Hecht describes the leading approaches to high-power solid-state lasers, including fiber lasers, thin disks, and slabs, their potential military applications, and the challenges faced in developing these lasers to meet field application requirements.

Jeff Hecht Contributing Editor Laser Focus World  
VLOC Incorporated (VLOC) :

Manufactures fluoride and oxide crystals including YAG, YLF, ruby, LiSAF, LiSGaF, and YVOv(4). Non-linear materials include KTP and KNbOv(3). Components include laser cavity flow tubes, mirrors, prisms, lens ducts, waveplates, and lightweight optics. Custom services include wafer fabrication, repolishing, and coatings. Coatings are dielectric, metallic, ion-assist deposition, and ion-beam sputtering.

IPG Photonics :

IPG Photonics Corporation is the world leader in fiber lasers, fiber amplifiers, hybrid fiber/solid-state lasers, and diode lasers. IPG manufactures fiber lasers operating at 0.5 – 5 microns. IPG’s 1um and 1.5um fiber lasers and amplifiers are particularly popular in single-frequency and linearly-polarized variants; providing products having the best available combination of performance, reliability and price. IPG's newly developed mid-IR lasers, operating at 2-5 microns, offer reliable and cost-effective solutions for sensing, spectroscopy, material processing and medical applications.

Optimax :

Optimax grinds and shines optical materials to make Aspheres, Cylinders, Spheres, and Prisms to customer specifications. We specialize in producing optics in small lot sizes with diameters up to 300mm. With over 100 opticians, deterministic CNC machining, and in-house coating capabilities, Optimax can deliver precision optics in record time. Call us!